Feeder for high viscosity liquids

ABSTRACT

THIS DISCLOSURE RELATES TO A PORTABLE FEEDER FOR HIGH VISCOSITY LIQUIDS, SUCH AS GLUE, IN WHICH A MOTOR AND PUMP ARE ASSEMBLED UNITARILY WITH A HANGER BRACKET BY WHICH THE FEEDER MAY BE HUNG ON THE SIDE OF LIQUID CONTAINER WITH THE PUMP IMMERSED IN THE LIQUID. THE PUMP DISIRABLY HAS GEARS WHICH PROTRUDE FROM THE PUMP OUSING AT THE INTAKE SIDE TO INSURE ADEQUATE LOADING OF THE LIQUID INTO THE GEAR TEETH. THERE IS A HEATER ADJACENT THE PUMP TO SOFETN HIGHLY VISCOUS LIQUID SUCH AS GLUE.

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FEEDER FOR HIGH VISCOSITY LIQUIDS 2 Shani-Shoot 2 Filed Aug. 26, 1968 A-rrrannlvi 3,606,095 Patented Sept. 20, 1971 3,606,095 FEEDER FOR HIGH VISCOSITY LIQUIDS Hermann Kronseder, Berliner Str. 10, Neutraubling, Germany Filed Aug. 26, 1968, Ser. No. 755,221 Claims priority, application Germany, Sept. 7, 1967, P 15 86 372.6 Int. Cl. B67d /62 US. Cl. 222--146HE 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This disclosure relates to a portable feeder for high viscosity liquids, such as glue, in which a motor and pump are assembled unitarily with a hanger bracket by which the feeder may be hung on the side of a liquid container with the pump immersed in the liquid. The pump desirably has gears which protrude from the pump housing at the intake side to insure adequate loading of the liquid into the gear teethbThere is a heater adjacent the pump to soften highly viscous liquid such as glue.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, highly viscous liquid, such as glue, can be fed by a compact, self-contained unitary assembly of motor, pump and hanger which can easily be hung on the side of a liquid container and moved from one container to another. Accordingly, the liquid can be pumped directly from its shipping container, and it is unnecessary to transfer the liquid from its shipping container to a fixed tank having a stationary pump therein.

In the disclosed embodiment of the invention, the feeder is used to supply glue to the gluing roller of a high speed container labeling machine. Heretofore, such a machine would be provided with a permanent glue tank having a fixedly mounted pump, etc. In such an arrangement it was necessaary to transfer the glue from its shipping container into said tank.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side view of the liquid feeder embodying the present invention, in operative association with the glue roll of a labeling machine.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of said feeder.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross section taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view of a modified embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Although the disclosure hereof is detailed and exact to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, the physical embodiments herein disclosed merely exemplify the invention which may be embodied in other specific structures. The scope of the invention is defined in the claims appended hereto.

In the exemplary embodiment, the feeder is utilized to pump glue from container to the glue roll 11 of a label applying machine 12 of the type shown in my copending US. patent application Ser. No. 694,617, filed J an. 2, 1968. The glue in container 10 is typical of any high viscous liquid for which the feeder of the present invention is particularly suited.

According to the invention, the feeder comprises a unitary assembly of a motor 13 and submersible pump 14, together with a hanger bracket 15 by which the unitary assembly can be releasably attached to the side of the container 10. Motor 13 may be mounted on a reduction gear box 16 from which a drive shaft tubular housing 17 extends downwardly to a rigid support connection with the housing 18 of the pump 14. Within housing 17 there is a drive shaft 21 which drives the intermeshing gears 22, 23 of the pump 14.

The pump 14 has an outlet pipe 24 extending upwardly through hanger bracket 15 to terminate in a flexible tube 25 which has an end nozzle 26 mounted on a labeling machine support bracket 27 by which the nozzle is aimed at the glue roller 11.

The pump 14 has a novel construction which particularly adapts it to pump highly viscous liquid which flows relatively slowly. The housing plates 18 of the pump are relieved near the side of the pump housing from which the gear teeth emerge as the gears rotate in the direction of the arrows in FIG. 3. Accordingly, the teeth protrude freely into the liquid and have a substantial arc of movement while thus protruding. Thus the teeth are exposed on all sides so that the liquid in which the pump is submersed will have ample opportunity to flow into the space between successive teeth on the gears. Accordingly, when the teeth enter the housing, they will be fully loaded with glue, notwithstanding its high viscosity and relatively slow flow rate. This insures adequate loading of the pump and the delivery of large quantities of glue through the outlet pipe 24.

To protect the protruding teeth on the gears, the pump housing 14 is desirably provided with a guard bar or frame 28. Moreover, to promote free flow of the highly viscous glue in the vicinity of the pump, a heater 31 extends downwardly from the bracket 15 into the vicinity of the intake side of the pump and desirably within the guard 28. In the disclosed embodiment, heater 31 consists of an electrical heating element which is energized from the same source 30 of electricity by which the motor 13 is energized. Alternatively, other heating means could be used, such as a hot water heating coil, etc.

The flow rate of the pump can be readily adjusted by a bypass line 32 which is tapped into the side of outflow pipe 24 and controlled by an adjustable valve 33.

Excess glue delivered to the glue roller 11 collects in a sump 34 and is returned to the container 10 through the drain tube 35.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the motor, pump and associated piping, etc., are all adjustably mounted for unitary movement on the hanger bracket 15. The hanger bracket is provided with a central circular boss or turntable plate 36 to which clamp block 37 is attached. The drive shaft housing 17 extends through the clamp block 37 and is adjustably held therein by the clamping screw lever 38. The other parts of the unitary assembly, such as the heater 31 and outlet tube 24, freely slide through appropriate openings in the clamp block 37 and plate 36. Strap bracket 41 holds all such parts in rigid assembly with the drive shaft housing 17. Accordingly, movement of the drive shaft housing 17 vertically with respect to the hanger bracket 15 will adjust all of the parts simultaneously.

The hanger bracket 15 is releasably attached to the side of the container 10 in any convenient manner, such as by clamps 42.

In order to prevent evaporation of the glue from the tank 10, the tank top may be covered with a plastic or comparable cover 43 which desirably has elastic or draw strings at its outer periphery at 44 around the container 10 and at 45 around the boss 36.

The modification of the invention shown in FIG. 4 embodies many of the features just described, but is somewhat simpler in that it is not adjustably fixed to the container 10. In this embodiment the hanger bracket consists simply of ledge type handles 46 which project from a central mountingplate 47 to which the motor 48, drive shaft housing 49, etc., are fixedly attached. In this embodiment the feeder is simply suspended by a handle 46 on the top edge of the container 10. This will position the feeder with its pump submerged in the glue and its motor 48 projecting upwardly, as illustrated in FIG. 4.

The present invention has particular utility for use in container labeling machines which have a high capacity, for example, thirty or forty thousand containers per hour. Large quantities of glue are consumed in this labeling operation. With the use of the presentinvention, it is a simple matter to transfer the glue feeder from an exhausted glue container to a fresh glue container.

The glue container as received from the glue factory is considerably larger than the built-in glue tanks of the prior art. The capacity of the prior art built-in tanks, at the high rate of consumption experienced in high speed labeling machines, was so limited that they had to be refilled several times during one work shift. This involved considerable down time on the machine and also required the attention of the machine operator. The present invention simplifies renewing the glue supply and increases the time interval between glue supply changes.

Moreover, paste-like glues may now be used because of the exposed tooth gear pump and the heater. These glues tended to clog the prior art pumps.

I claim:

1. A liquid feeder adapted to be removably mounted on a liquid container, said feeder comprising a hanger bracket adapted to engage the side of the container, the

unitary assembly of a motor, submerged pump and drive.

shaft extending between the motor and pump, means for attaching said unitary assembly to the hanger bracket with the motor at the top of the container and the pump near the bottom of the container, said means being adjustable whereby said unitary assembly is shifta'ble as a unit with respect to the bracket to adapt the feeder to fit containers of different size, said hanger bracket being smaller than the top opening in the container and having means for attaching it to one side of the container top, a cover adapted to cover the portion of the container top not covered by the feeder, said cover having means for securing it to the container and to the hanger bracket.

2. The invention of claim 1, in which the last mentioned means comprises draw strings.

3. A liquid feeder adapted to be removably mounted on a liquid container, said feeder comprising a hanger bracket adapted to engage the side of the container, the unitary assembly of a motor, submerged pump and drive shaft extending between the motor and pump, said drive shaft having a housing to the opposite ends of which the pump and motor are attached with the motor at the top of the container and the pump near the bottom of the container, a hanger bracket clamp adjustably engaging said housing whereby said unitary assembly is shiftable as a unit with respect to the bracket to adapt the feeder to fit containers of different size, said feeder further comprising an elongated heater extending in generally parallel relation to the drive shaft housing, means attaching the heater to the drive shaft housing whereby said heater and housing are shiftable together, said hanger bracket having an opening through which said heater is slidable during the shifting thereof.

4. A glue feeder adapted to be mounted on the top edge of a glue container, said feeder comprising:

a hanger bracket adapted to engage the side of the container,

a motor carried by the bracket at the top of the container,

a submerged pump carried by the bracket near the bottom of the container,

a drive shaft extending downwardly from the motor to power the pump,

an elongated heater extending downwardly from the bracket in generally parallel relation to the drive shaft to the vicinity of the pump.

5. The glue feeder of claim 4, in which the pump comprises intermeshing gears and a gear housing, said gears protruding from the housing at the intake side of the housing to insure adequate loading of glue into the gear teeth, said heater having a portion disposed adjacent said intermeshing gears to promote free flow of the glue adjacent said gears.

References Cited EVON C. BLUNK, Primary Examiner H. S. LANE, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 222333, 385 

